I once owned so many pets that the neighborhood kids called me Dr. Dolittle.
And I loved every one of them as a family member.
Animals help lower our blood pressure and heart rate, plus reduce anxiety, loneliness and depression.
Caring for an animal also gives owners a sense of purpose.
According to recentpet owner surveys, almost 91 million households in the U.S. own pets.
Boomersaccount for32 percent of U.S. pet ownership.
A large slice of the senior population owns exotic animals.
You don’t have to walk them, and some don’t need much human interaction to be content.
They also have lower medical costs and don’t require monthly preventative medication or grooming.
Exotic animals don’t take up much space and are great for people with pet allergies.
Even better, many exotic species live as long or longer than cats and dogs.
They’re a manageable size pet and quite sociable if hand tamed.
Budgies are also very smart.
We found him roaming the neighborhood and brought him home after noticing he was missing a paw.
It was the best decision because he brought so much love to our household.
